Iran Sunday ignored growing international pressure to release 15
British sailors and marines, saying London should change its
attitude over the nine-day standoff.
Iranian Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki was quoted on Sunday
as saying: "Iran is waiting for a change in Britain's attitude and
a balanced stance over our legal demands (for apology)."
Britain changed tactic on Saturday with Foreign Secretary
Margaret Beckett spelling out her regret over the situation.
She urged Iran to work for a peaceful resolution and to engage
in dialogue with Britain. "We continue to express our willingness
to engage in dialogue and discussions with Iran," she said while
attending a meeting of EU foreign ministers in Bremen, Germany.
"I think everyone regrets that this position has arisen," she
said. "What we want is a way out of it."
A British Foreign Office source said Sunday: "For the last
couple of days we have been toe-to-toe and nose-to-nose. This is a
small gesture to create some breathing space and to see whether we
get anything substantive from the Iranians."
The dispute surrounds claims from Iran that the 15 British
sailors and marines were in "Iranian territory", while Britain
claims they were in "Iraqi waters".
In his first public comment thereon, US President George W. Bush
slammed the capture of the Britons as "inexcusable" on Saturday.
Speaking at Camp David, Bush added that "Iran must give back the
hostages immediately and unconditionally. They're innocent. They
did nothing wrong."
These calls seemed to have no effect on Iranian President
Mahmoud Ahmadinejad who toed the line that Britons had trespassed
into Iranian waters and that world powers were proving themselves
to be "arrogant" in not apologizing.
"The British occupier forces did trespass our waters. Our border
guards detained them with skill and bravery," Iran's official news
agency IRNA quoted Ahmadinejad as saying. "But arrogant powers,
because of their arrogant and selfish spirit, are claiming
otherwise."
IRNA further reported that Ahmadinejad reiterated the success of
Teheran's nuclear program, claiming that "the people will hear good
news in this respect".
Fuelling an already tense atmosphere, about 200 students
gathered to throw stones and firecrackers at the British embassy in
Teheran Sunday, clamoring for the ambassador to be expelled.
Although the British Foreign Office reported no damage, the
compound was wreathed in smoke after several small blasts echoed
around the embassy. One witness attributed eight blasts from what
were likely to be small, home-made explosive devices.
Iran has also sent an official complaint to the British embassy
in Teheran, slamming a shooting incident involving British troops
near its consulate in the Iraqi city of Basra on Thursday as a
"provocative act", Iran's ISNA news agency reported.
Britain has refuted this claim, explaining the incident as
British soldiers firing in self-defense after their convoy was
ambushed.
German Chancellor Angela Merkel, currently also EU president,
renewed the EU's support for Britain, in a speech in Jerusalem on
Sunday.
"I repeat here that Britain has the full solidarity of the
European Union in this matter. We demand the prompt release of the
15 soldiers," she was quoted as saying.
The call came after a UN Security Council statement issued last
week expressing "grave concern" and calling "for an early
resolution of this problem, including the release of the 15 British
personnel".
In response, Iran has urged the EU to not get involved and has
further accused Britain of deepening the crisis by taking it to the
UN. The world body is out of favor in Iran after passing two
resolutions imposing sanctions against Teheran for its nuclear
program since December.
(China Daily via agencies April 2, 2007)
